Customer Reviews

Alcoholics Anonymous - Big Book Special Edition - Including: Personal Stories

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The copyright on the first 164 pages of the Alcoholics Anonymous "Big Book" expired several years ago. Anyone at all can do what they want with it. Including apparently pretending to be the original publisher.
Amazon is selling literature claiming to be the AA "Big Book" published by "AA Services" (whoever that might be ) that appears to actually be just the first section of the original text, with the remaining section written to resemble the portion still under copyright by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services.
The information on this website could lead people to believe they are purchasing the "Big Book" from Alcoholics Anonymous.
This book does not appear in the list of publications on the AA website. A Google search for "AA Services" brought up various Amazon websites (where it is given credit for many of the AA publications), and several Auto Clubs. No contact information.
I'm sure they are not anticipating trouble from Alcoholics Anonymous, which is notoriously averse to controversy of any kind. Too bad.
Amazon is complicit in this foolishness in each situation where it attributes AA literature to "AA Services" or provides a link that further confuses the issue.
Money is not the issue here. Imagine another reputable non-profit human services outfit has publications that lose their copyright. Let's say it's the Mayo Clinic, or the Hazelden Foundation. Any dingus can select from that material, and add their own pearls of wisdom too, and that's fine. What you don't want them doing is presenting the result as a Mayo Clinic or Hazelden Manual. And Amazon should certainly not help them do it.
Ron Ayotte

I just received my copy of this supposed reprint of the First Edition of the book Alcoholics Anonymous. AA World Services claims to maintain the copyright to the book outside the U.S. and maintains trademarks on the names Alcoholics Anonymous and The Big Book. Despite the fact that the validity of the original copyright is in dispute and that distribution outside the US is prohibited, BN Publishing has published this volume including the use of registered trademarks and without the citation of these trademarks or text being reproduced with permission of AAWS, Inc. There is also nothing in this book stating that the volume is not published by AA World Services, Inc. or that the material is used with permission. There is no disclaimer stating implication or suggestion of affiliation with or approval of, AA World Services, Inc is not there - in fact, there IS implied and suggested information to the prospective purchaser that this volume is in some way affiliated and endorsed by AA World Services.

The inferrence that this is an AA book (advertising AA Services insted of AA World Services, Alcoholics Anonymous as author and Anonymous, World Service as author) is a new low. The cover of the book states "Including: Personal Stories" - Nowhere in the advertising nor in the text does it state that several of the stories which were included in the original AA publication are not in the BN so-called "Special Edition." One would think that a reputable publisher would let potential purchasers know that when they advertize "Including: Personal Stories," they would mean all the personal stories and not only some of them.

Caveat Emptor - Let the buyer beware! I would hope that AA World Services and their legal team would go after this publisher for ripping off the AA name for purely mercenary reasons and leave the rest of those reprinting materials to carry the message of recovery alone.

Only the first sentence is from Steve M.The rest of the verbage is copied from the Forward to the First Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous. He is taking credit for these words and not giving credit to Alcoholics Anonymous!!

I enjoy this edition and the Personal Stories


We, of Alcoholics Anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.


To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book.



For them, we hope these pages will prove so convincing that no further authentication will be necessary.



We think this account of our experiences will help everyone to better understand the alcoholic.



Many do not comprehend that the alcoholic is a very sick person.



And besides, we are sure that our way of living has its advantages for all.


It is important that we remain anonymous because we are too few, at present to handle the overwhelming number of personal appeals which may result from this publication.




Being mostly business or professional folk, we could not well carry on our occupations in such an event. We would like it understood that our alcoholic work is an avocation.



When writing or speaking publicly about alcoholism, we urge each of our Fellowship to omit his personal name, designating himself instead as "a member of Alcoholics Anonymous."



Very earnestly we ask the press also, to observe this request, for otherwise we shall be greatly handicapped.




We are not an organization in the conventional sense of the word.



There are no fees or dues whatsoever.



The only requirement for membership is an honest desire to stop drinking.



We are not allied with any particular faith, sect or denomination, nor do we oppose anyone.



We simply wish to be helpful to those who are afflicted.



We shall be interested to hear from those who are getting results from this book, particularly form those who have commenced work with other alcoholics.




We should like to be helpful to such cases.


Inquiry by scientific, medical, and religious societies will be welcomed.